November 2015 News Archive

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court said Monday that President Obama could not move forward with his plans to overhaul immigration rules by providing up to five million people with work permits and protection from deportation.

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans, ruled 2 to 1 against an appeal by the Obama administration, saying a lawsuit brought by 26 states to block Mr. Obama’s actions was likely to succeed at trial.

The ruling is the latest blow to the president’s efforts to circumvent congressional inaction on immigration by using the power of his office to reshape the way immigration laws are enforced.

In a 2-1 split decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s injunction blocking the Obama administration from implementing programs to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal immigrants.

“Today’s decision from the federal appeals court is a victory for the Constitution and the American people,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte says. “President Obama’s decision to ignore the limits placed on his power and act unilaterally to rewrite our nation’s immigration laws is an affront to the Constitution.”

Even before the court decision, Republicans have touted the fact that Obama himself said he could not take the actions he ultimately took, as Sen. Orrin Hatch recalled Tuesday.